Orca Behaviors
As a whale watcher, you’ll observe orcas (killer whales) “performing” many different physical
maneuvers or behaviors. The list below gives each of these physical actions a name, takes you
through what happens, and in some instances, explains why.
INSTANTANEOUS
BEHAVIORS
A killer whale gives chase to an
adult salmon.
• Aerial Scan Raises its head at
an angle starting from a horizontal
position.
• Back Dive Leaps out of the water
and exposes two-thirds or more of its
body and then lands on its back.
• Belly Flop Leaps out of the water
and exposes two-thirds or more of its
body and then lands on its ventral
surface (ie. stomach).
• Breach Leaps out of the water and
exposes two-thirds or more of its
body and then lands on its side.
• Burp An above-surface vocalization
that sounds like it’s “letting gas”.
• Bubble Blowing The sound
produced when releasing air through
its blowhole while still under water.
• Cartwheel Throws its flukes, caudal
peduncle and rear part of its body
from one side to another in at least a
45-degree arc.
• Dorsal Fin Slap Rolls on its side and
hits its dorsal fin on the surface of the
water with force.
• Fluke Lift Moves its flukes up and
down above the water surface in a
fluid motion with no force.
• Fluke Wave Lifts its flukes and part
of its caudal peduncle above the
water, pauses for at least two seconds,
and then brings its flukes down with
no force.
• Half Breach Leaps out of the water
and exposes only half of its body,
landing on its side.
• Inverted Pectoral Slap While on its
back, raises its pectoral flippers
straight up and slaps the dorsal
surfaces down on the water’s surface
(often an inverted pectoral slap is
immediately followed by an inverted
tail lob).
• Inverted Tail Lob While on its
back, raises its flukes above the
water’s surface and brings them down
with force.
• Kelping “Plays” with kelp or seaweed
by dragging it on any body part; often
it tries to position the kelp in the
notch of its flukes.
• Lunge Breaks the surface of the
water with its rostrum, melon and
a large part of its body in a charging
mode (the lunge often has a sideways
component, especially when the
whale is chasing something).
• Pectoral Slap Lies on its side, lifts
a pectoral flipper, and slaps it on the
water’s surface with force.
• Pectoral Wave Lifts a pectoral
flipper in the air for at least two
seconds and brings it down with no
force.
• Rolling Rolls halfway, or all the
way around in the water, along its
longitudinal axis (this behavior is
very helpful for researchers in
determining the